A motorist with a record of 87 offences has been handed a suspended prison sentence after he drove at 130mph in heavy rain on the A1 in Northumberland, refusing to stop for police during a three-minute pursuit.
Brandon Durning, 25, of North Ridge, Whitley Bay, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court this week, where he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was given a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months, ordered to sit an extended retest before regaining his licence, and required to complete 180 hours of unpaid work.
High-speed pursuit in the dark
Dash cam footage from a pursuing police car showed Durning behind the wheel of a VW Tiguan on the dual carriageway near Morpeth. The chase took place in the early hours of June 10 this year, and officers feared his vehicle would tip over when it came to a stop at a sharp angle on a grass verge.
Prosecutor Jasmine Dodds told the court that Durning had made threats to self-harm by crashing his vehicle. She said the Tiguan was identified as his vehicle and was located driving at speed on the A1 southbound.
“An officer started a pursuit of the vehicle and, during that time, it reached speeds of over 100mph and, when the blue lights and sirens were activated, the speed increased to 130mph, which was recorded throughout the pursuit as the vehicle continued on the A1,” she said.
Court hears of challenging background
Further police vehicles joined the pursuit and carried out a tactical stop. Durning drove up onto a grass verge and stopped, with officers fearing the vehicle would tip over. He was arrested and had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving when he appeared before magistrates last month.
Matthew Purves, defending, said Durning had suffered “tragic circumstances” in his life and had a “substantially challenging history”, including learning difficulties and emotional-type disorders. He noted that Durning now had employment through self-employment, stable accommodation, support from his grandparents, who were in court, and was in a relatively new relationship.
Judge cites appalling record
Recorder Simon Eckersley said that, because Durning’s jail term would be under 12 months, new sentencing guidelines meant it had to be suspended. He told Durning: “You're only 25 and yet you have appeared before the criminal courts 48 previous times for a total of 87 offences - 87 at the age of 25. You have an appalling criminal record for somebody your age.”
The judge added that Durning had committed serious offences of violence with weapons in the past and had a terrible history for driving, noting that he had received a sentence for dangerous driving in 2021. Durning’s 18-month driving disqualification and extended retest requirement will take effect alongside the suspended sentence and unpaid work order.
